🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🏃 Gross Motor Skills — Running, jumping, hopping, and climbing build the large muscle strength, coordination, and body control that physical activities, sports, and even handwriting readiness depend on.
• 🧭 Spatial Awareness — Moving through and around obstacles, understanding where their body is in space, and following directional instructions develops the spatial body awareness that sports, dance, and coordinated movement require.
• 💪 Strength Building — Age-appropriate strength challenges — climbing, pushing, carrying, and holding body weight — build the muscle development that children need for endurance, injury resistance, and the hand strength that fine motor tasks require.
• 😌 Emotional Regulation — Physical activity is one of the most effective emotional regulation tools available to preschoolers — vigorous movement releases stress hormones and resets the nervous system for calm, focused engagement with other tasks.

The new year is fast approaching and it’s time once again to make those new year’s resolutions! Whether you are steadfast in your commitment to your resolutions, or you find last year’s creeping back on your list again this year, consider starting a family fitness program for the year. With fitness goals that you and your family can do together, you can get in shape together!

Committing to a family fitness resolution can be as easy incorporating a series of daily activities to get bodies in motion. Even moderate daily exercise can provide health benefits. For example, consider the following family fitness resolution ideas:

Take a Daily Walk

If you live in a climate where the weather is nice this time of year, then you’ve got no excuse not to walk! If you are restricted by poor weather, fit in walks as the weather allows.

Do a Morning Stretch

This doesn’t need to be a formal yoga routine, but you and your preschooler can select a pose or stretch to start the day off. For more fun, add evening stretches to wind down from the day. Stretching increases flexibility and reduces stress.

Try out Fitness Videos or DVDs

There are so many fitness videos on the market; some designed with preschoolers in mind. While you may feel silly doing these along with your preschooler, keep in mind that any movement will be beneficial and your children will enjoy your participation. If your preschooler has the attention span, see if they have an interest in a grown-up fitness video. While they will unlikely be able to keep up with the movements, they may find just dancing around to the music is enjoyable.

Dance, Dance, Dance

And speaking of dancing, there is no more fun activity for a family fitness program than dancing! Spin, twirl, jump, and jive – breaking a sweat is optional.

Make a New Years Resolution That Lasts a Lifetime

Whatever family fitness program you decide on, you’ll find that the rewards will be numerous. The time spent together exercising will give your preschooler an early start toward a lifetime of fitness. Plus, you’ll all benefit from the healthy activities that you do together as a family.

I'm Wendy Michaels, the Preschool Fitness writer for PreschoolRock.com. With an active preschooler of my own, I know how easy it is to include exercise and healthy habits into a preschooler's daily activities. I'd love to hear your ideas for promoting fitness with your own preschooler. Please contact me with any suggestions, ideas or questions.